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The  Magic  Wand 


ALTEMUS'    MAGIC    WAND    SERIES 


THE 


MAGIC    WAND 


BY 


TUDOR      JENKS 


With  Illustrations  By  JOHN  R.  NEILL 


PHILADELPHIA 


HENRY    ALTEMUS    COMPANY 


6     The  Magic  Wand  Series 

Price 

Fifty  Cents 
Each 

BY  TUDOR  JENKS 

The  Magic  Wand 

Romero  and  Julietta 

A  Magician  for  One  Day 

The  Prince  and  the  Dragons 

Timothy's  Magical  Afternoon 

The  Rescue  Syndicate 


Copyright 
1905,  by 
Henry 
Altemus 


The  Magic  Wand 


THE  MAGIC  WAND 


THE  SULTAN'S  VERSES 


THE  BOY  AND  DRAGON 


Contents 


% 


The  Magic  Wand 


Illus- 
trations 


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1  ■^BRP^^fl^y'       I^ 

ILLUSTRATIONS 


THE  MAGIC  WAND 

Frontispiece 
'  'Reginald  wants  it'  " 
'  The  telephone  bell  rang  " 
'  Ran  as  if  he  wore  roller-skates  " 
'  A  fat,  but  kindly  elephant" 

'*Mor'n    three   times    as    big    as 
papa!'" 

'  The  cows  sprouted  out  greatwings  " 
' '  You  shall  fly,  too  '  " 
'Blew    up   with    a    tremendous 
explosion  " 


lo  The  Magic 


"  Had  fallen  fast  asleep  " 

*'  Hannah  Maria  lost  her  temper  " 

THE  SULTAN'S  VERSES 
Frontispiece — "  He     arrived     at    his 
capital " 

*'  Becoming  clothes  " 

*'  Your  will  is  the  people's  law  " 

*' His  turban  fell  off" 

*'  The  page  on  duty  " 

"The  old  Vizier  wore  a  broad  grin" 

*'  I  prefer  to  remain  Treasurer  " 

*'  The  Minister  of  Justice  " 

*' '  Have  you  been  there  all  day?  '  " 

"  Appointed     the    page     his    Chief 
Councillor  " 

THE  BOY  AND  DRAGON 

Frontispiece — "  I    noticed   an    adver- 
tisement " 

*'  '  I'm  not  a  mister  '  " 

"  '  Lend  me  a  quarter,  will  you  ?  '  " 

*'  We  walked  along  together  " 


•    Illus- 
trations 


Wand 

** '  How  is  the  ice-cream  to-day  '  " 
*'  ♦  You  help  me  the  first  week  '  " 
"Two  dozen  swans  were  set  afloat" 
*'  They  were  drawing  him  in  triumph  " 
" '  I   have    brought  you    her   photo- 
graph '  " 


II 


i 


Illus- 
trations 


The  Magic  Wand 


The  Magic  Wand 


15 


The  Bell 
Rang 


HILE  the  King 
and  the  Magi- 
cian were  talk- 
ing very  ear- 
nestly together 
about  a  big 
giant  who  was  reported  to  be 
coming  from  the  sea-coast,  the 
telephone-bell  rang. 

"  Excuse  me  for  one  mo- 
ment," remarked  the  King,  get- 
ting up  so  quickly  that  he  almost 
dropped  his  crown, "  but  that  is 
my  ring." 

He  stepped  to  the  telephone, 
and  the  Magician  heard  him 
say: 

"Yes.  The  Palace.  Yes. 
I'm  the  King— the  King.  No  ; 
not  ring.  King— monarch. 
Yes.  The  Magician?  He  is 
here    yet."      Then    the    King 


A 
Messai^e 


i6 


The  Magic 


Magician  seemed  to  be  listening  intently, 
Wanted  and  suddenly  his  face  put  on  a 
scared  expression.  *'My  good- 
ness, gracious  me!"  he  ex- 
claimed ;  and,  turning  to  the 
Magician,  he  said  hurriedly, 
"  You  are  wanted  at  home,  and 


at  once. 


>> 


the 


Anything     wrong?' 
Magician    asked. 

"Wrong?  I  should  say 
so,"  the  King  replied,  jump- 
ing up  and  down  in  his 
excitement. 

"Anybody  sick — or  dead?" 

"Sick?  No-nordead.  Not 
yet.  But  don't  wait!  Hurry! 
Run,  ride— no,  you're  an  en- 
chanter—fly !" 

"  For  pity's  sake,  what  is  it?" 
demanded  the  Magician,  trot- 
ling  along  the  palace  corridor, 


Hurry! 


feV' 


Wand 


17 


with  the  King  running  along     They  Run 
beside  him. 

"Why,  it's  your  baby." 

"  What  can  it  be  ?"  exclaimed 


the  Magician,  who  was    now 
actually  running. 

"  What  can't  it  be  ?"  groaned 
the  King.  "The  baby  has  got 
your    magic    wand    and   they 


Baby 
Has  It 


i8 


The  Magic 


Alas!  for  can't  get  it  away  from  him,  and 
the  Nurse  there's  no  telling  what  he  may 
do  with  it.  He  has  already 
changed  his  old  nurse  into  an 
elephant,  and— but  hurry,  man, 
hurry  !" 

And  the  Magician  ran  as  if 
he  wore  roller-skates.  None 
knew  so  well  as  he  what  might 
happen  before  he  could  reach 
home.  He  ran  so  hard  that 
he  lost  his  breath,  and  was 
forced  to  halt  on  top  of  a  hill, 
from  which  he  could  see  the 
castle  in  which  he  lived.  As 
he  sank  panting  beside  the 
road  he  saw  one  of  the  turrets 
of  his  castle  go  sailing  up  into 
the  air  and  burst  like  a  rocket. 
Too  breathless  to  speak,  the 
poor  Magician  rose  to  his  feet 
and  struggled  on. 


Lively 
Times 


Wand 


19 


Half-way  down  the  hill  he 
was  met  by  a  fat  but  kindly 
elephant,  whose  face  seemed 
strangely  familiar.  The  words 
of  the  King  came  to  the  Ma- 


He  Meets 
Her 


gician's  mind,  and  he  at  once 
guessed  this  to  be  the  nurse. 
As  the  nurse-elephant  met  her 
master   she    seized    him   with 


She  Helps 
Him 


20  The  Magic  Wand 

By  her  trunk,  lifted  him  to  a  corn- 

Express  fortable  seat  behind  her  ears, 
wheeled  sharply  around,  and 
ran  toward  the  castle. 

"Is  it  very  bad,  Hannah 
Maria  ?"  the  Magician  asked,  as 
soon  as  he  could  speak.  But 
the  poor  elephant  could  only 
groan  as  she  charged  onward. 
When  they  reached  the  gate 
of  the  courtyard  the  Magician 
could  see  for  himself  that  it 
was  very  bad  indeed.  Near 
the  middle  of  the  great  open 
space  stood  the  Magician's  son. 
He  looked  much  as  usual,  ex- 
cept that  instead  of  being  the 
right  size  for  a  boy  of  four  and 
one-half  years — about  as  high 
as  a  table — he  was  now  about 
twenty  feet  high.  The  Ma- 
gician  learned   afterward  that 


A  Giant 
Boy 


The  Magic  Wand 


23 


his  son  had  wished  to  be 
"mor'n  three  times  as  big  as 
papa!"  and,  having  the  magic 
wand  in  his  hand,  the  wish  had 
been  granted. 


"Reginald!"  exclaimed  the 
Magician,  "what  does  this 
mean?" 

"  Oh,"  replied  the  giant-boy, 


Bigger' n 
Papa 


Such 
Fun 


24  The  Magic 

Look  Out!  "lam  having  such  fun!  Did 
you  see  what  a  splendid  ele- 
phant Hannah  Maria  made  ? 
What  would  you  like  to  be, 
papa?" 

"  Reginald,  you  are  a  naughty 
boy!"  the  poor  Magician  ex- 
claimed. *' Give  me  the  wand." 

"  Reginald  wants  it,"  said  the 
baby,  frowning.  "Reginald 
likes  the  wand.  It  does  such 
funny  things  !  See  the  cows  ! 
Reginald  can  make  them  fly. 
Fly,  cows,  fly !" 

At  once  the  cows  in  the 
meadow  all  sprouted  out  great 
wings,  and,  flapping  them  with 
a  noise  like  a  thousand  pigeons, 
they  flew  up  into  the  air  and 
away  they  went. 

"Reginald,"  said  the  Ma- 
gician, "  you   are  doing  very 


A  Reproof 


Wand 


25 


wrong.    What  will  mamma  say       Mamma 
when  she  comes  home  ?"  Defied 

"  Little   mamma    won't    say 


anything  at  all  to  a  great  big 
boy  like  me  !"  replied  Reginald, 
laughing.     "You  don't  know 


Papa 
Derided 


26 


The  Magic 


Crafty  what    a    little   papa  you   are ! 

Idea  Why,  you   look  like    a  little, 

teeny-weeny  silly  mousie!" 

Then  the  Magician  had  an 
idea. 

"Can  you  make  yourself 
small  too?"  he  asked. 

"  Course  I  can,"  the  baby 
answered.  "  I  can  do  what- 
ever I  like." 

"  Let  papa  see  you  make 
yourself  small— like  a  mousie," 
said  the  Magician. 

"All  right."  Reginald  said 
the  words,  "  I  wish  I  was 
small,  like  a  mousie,"  and  at 
once  his  wish  came  true. 

The  Magician  lost  sight  of 
the  baby  now,  for  they  had 
been  standing  far  apart ;  but  he 
went  forward,  hoping  to  reach 
the  child  in  time  to  take  the 


Where 
Is  He? 


Wand 


27 


wand  from  him  ;  but  just  as  he 
came  near  enough  to  find  the 
little  boy,  the  small  creature 
disappeared  entirely. 

The  Magician  stopped  in  dis- 
may. 

"Where  are  you,  my  son?" 
he  called  in  a  sweet  tone. 

"Here  I  am,  papa!"  came 
the  reply  from  over  his  head, 
and,  looking  up,  he  saw  his  son 
flying  about  in  the  form  of  a 
fairy.  "  I  thought  I'd  be  a 
fairy.  Don't  you  like  me  to  be 
a  fairy  ?" 

The  Magician  didn't  know 
what  to  do.  So  long  as  the 
baby  was  good-humored  there 
was  little  danger  of  his  doing 
any  harm,  but  if  the  little  fellow 
should  lose  his  temper  there 
was  no  knowing  what  he  might 


Found 
Again 


Caution 
Necessary 


28  The  Magic  Wand 

Papa's  do.    The  best  thing  the  father 

Plan  could  think  of  was  to  keep  the 

child  amused  and  busy,  in  the 
hope  that  he  might  be  led  to 
give  up  the  wand  or  might  for- 
get it. 

"  Reginald,"  he  said,  "  papa 
can't  fly.  I  wish  you  would 
come  down  here  where  we  can 
play  together." 

"  No,"  said  Reginald,  shak- 
ing his  head  as  he  flew  gently 
about.  "  Reginald  doesn't  like 
to  come  down.  But  I'll  tell  you, 
papa,  what  will  be  just  splendid 
fun.  You  shall  fly,  too— only 
not  so  fast  as  I  can." 

The  Magician  tried  in  vain  to 
say  no,  but  in  an  instant  he  was 
fluttering  in  the  air  with  his 
son,  also  turned  into  a  fairy- 
like creature. 


It  Doesn't 
Work 


The  Magic  Wand  31 

"Isn't  this  good  fun?"  ex-       A  Flying 
claimed    Reginald.      "Come,       Trip 
papa,  let's  take  a  fly  over  the 
trees." 

Not  daring  to  let  the  child 
out  of  his  sight  or  to  anger  him 
by  a  refusal,  the  Magician  was 
forced  to  go  with  him.  Away 
both  went  through  the  air  until 
they  had  left  the  castle  far  be- 
hind them  and  were  out  in  the 
open  country. 

"  Reginald,"  said  the  Ma- 
gician at  last,  "  papa  is  tired. 
Don't  you  want  to  go  home 
now?  And  papa  will  tell  you 
a  nice  story  about  choo-choo 
cars,  and  then  you  can  go  to 
sleep  all  nicey." 

But  Reginald  was  not 
tempted. 

No,  papa;    Reginald   isn't 


Toys  at 
Will 


n 


32  The  Magic 

Engines  sleepy.  And  'sides,  Reginald 
to  Order  can  have  real  choo-choos  right 
here  I    See!" 

The  child  waved  the  wand, 
and  behold,  there  were  three 
railroads  in  the  fields  below 
them,  along  which  locomotives 
went  with  a  great  pufFing  of 
steam  and  clanging  of  bells. 

"  Nice  ?"  said  Reginald,  smil- 
ing very  joyously.  "  Reginald 
likes  papa's  magic  stick  !  Now 
see  choos  all  go  smash  !" 

Before  the  Magician  could 
say  a  word  all  the  locomotives 
went  crashing  into  one  another, 
and  their  boilers  blew  up  with 
a  tremendous  explosion. 

Reginald  was  so  startled  that 
he  dropped  the  wand.  The 
Magician  made  a  dive  for  it, 
but,  not  being  able  to  fly  so  fast 


No,  You 
Don't 


Wand 


33 


as  Reginald,  he  did  not  succeed  What 

in  securing  the  prize.  Next? 

Reginald  laughed  when  the 


wand  was  once   more   in   his 
hand. 

"  I'm  tired  of  playing  fairies," 
said  he.    "  I  wish  we  were—" 


An 
Ostrich 


34 

LeVs  Go 
Home 


The  Magic 

"Reginald!"  shouted  his 
father  in  an  agony  of  fear.  "Do 
be  careful,  my  son  !" 

"I  am,  papa,"  he  said.  "What 
do  you  like  to  be !  Shall 
Reginald  make  papa  a  real 
pretty  ostrich?" 

"Goodness,  no!  Please 
don't!"  exclaimed  the  Ma- 
gician. "And,  Reginald,  we 
must  go  home.  Papa  is  so  tired 
of  flying.     Let  us  go  home." 

"AH  right,"  said  Reginald. 
"  I  wish  we  were  home  right 
now  !" 

And  they  were ;  so  quickly 
that  the  Magician's  breath  left 
him  again.  They  found  them- 
selves in  Reginald's  nursery, 
where  his  Noah's-ark  animals 
were  scattered  over  the  floor. 
As  soon  as  Reginald  saw  the 


A 

Menagerie 


Wand  35 

wooden  animals  he  had  a  new        Danger 
idea.  Ahead! 

"Oh,  papa!  Wouldn't  it  be 
nice  if  they  were  all  alive?" 

"But,  Reginald,"  cried  the 
poor  Magician,  "what  could  we 
do  with  them  all?  Just  think, 
there  are  lions  and  tigers  and — 
and  alligators — " 

"Well,  I  won't,"  said  Regi- 
nald, with  a  sigh.  "  But  I  want 
to  play  something  nice  !" 

"  But  we  can't  play  anything 
while  we  are  so  little,"  said  the 
father.  "Won't  you  wish  we 
are  ourselves  once  more  ?  I 
don't  like  to  be  a  fairy." 

"All  right,"  Reginald  an- 
swered. "  I  wish  we  were  just 
ourselves!" 

It  was  much  pleasanter  to  be 
themselves,  and   the  Magician 


Sly  Papa! 


36 


The  Magic 


A  Drum  began  to  think  he  might  recover 
his  wand  now  that  Reginald 
was  once  more  a  little  boy  and 
that  he  was  a  full-sized  man. 

"Reginald,"  said  he,  "while 
you  have  papa's  magic  stick 
why  don't  you  wish  for  some- 
thing amusing  to  play  with? 
Wouldn't  you  like  a  drum?" 

"  Drum  makes  a  big  noise," 
answered  the  baby.  "  Does 
papa  want  to  be  a  drummer?" 

"  No,  no  !"  said  the  Magician 
hastily.  "  Papa  doesn't  care  for 
drums  ;  papa  would  rather  see 
Reginald  drum.  You  wish  for 
a  drum,  and  then  while  you 
play,  papa  will  hold  the  magic 
stick." 

"  No  !"  said  Reginald,  frown- 
ing. "  Reginald  wants  the  stick  ; 
papa  can't  have  it." 


A 

Perverse 

Boy 


Wand 


37 


"  Very  well,"  answered  the 
puzzled  Magician.  "  But  please 
be  very  careful." 

"Reginald  will  be  careful," 


A 
Caution 


said    the    child,    nodding    his 
head.   "Where's  Hannah 
Maria?" 
"You   changed  her  into  an 


Where's 
Hannah ? 


33 


The  Magic 


Hannah        elephant,"  said  his  father,  "and 

Arrives         she  can't  cook  your  supper." 

"I  can   change  her  back 

again,"  said  Reginald,  "and  I 

will.     I  wish  she  was  changed 

back,  and  was  here  !" 

Hannah  Maria  appeared  in 
the  room,  about  as  angry  as 
she  could  be.  Without  a  word, 
she  came  rushing  in  at  the  door, 
descended  upon  the  small  boy, 
seized  the  wand  and  threw  it 
to  the  other  side  of  the  room. 
In  an  instant  the  Magician  had 
it  in  his  hands  and  once  more 
felt  safe. 

It  took  all  the  rest  of  the 
afternoon  to  restore  things  to 
their  usual  condition,  and 
meanwhile  Reginald,  tired  out 
by  his  busy  day,  had  fallen  fast 
asleep.     He  was  too  little  to  be 


Setting 
to  Rights 


Wand 


39 


punished  for  the  mischief  he 
had  done,  and  so  no  more  was 
said  about  it.  But  the  magic 
wand  was  thereafter  kept  out  of 
his  reach.  Reginald  often 
begged  for  "papa's  magic 
stick,"  but  it  was  thought  best 
not  to  let  him  have  it. 

Altogether  it  was  a  fortunate 
thing  that  Hannah  Maria  lost 
her  temper  just  when  she  did. 


Never 
Again 


All  Ends 
Well 


The  Sultan's  Verses 


The  Sultan's  Verses 


43 


One    Sul-     ^^f^"g^>]N  a  land  so  far 
tan  Dies        ^^      ^M    ^o  ^^e  east  that 
^  it  is  very  warm 

when  the  sun 
rises  and  quite 
chilly  at  sun- 
set, a  great 
Sultan  died.  His  successor 
happened  to  be  a  nephew  v/ho 
lived  at  some  distance— so  far 
away,  even  from  that  distant 
land,  that  he  v/asn't  at  all  inti- 
mate with  the  late  Sultan.  In 
fact,  they  had  met  only  half  a 
dozen  times,  at  Thanksgiving 
dinners  or  similar  occasions; 
and  consequently  the  new  Sul- 
tan shed  no  tears  to  quench 
his  joy  upon  coming  to  the 
throne. 

He  decided   to   rule  wisely 
and  justly,  and  therefore  was 


Another 
Succeeds 


44  The  Sultan's  Verses 

First  eager  to  choose  the  most  trust- 

Steps  worthy  advisers. 

When  he  arrived  at  his  capi- 
tal he  was  conducted  at  once 
to  the  palace,  and  spent  the 
first  day  or  two  in  resting  from 
his  journey,  and  malting  the 
acquaintance  of  his  courtiers, 
and  buying  becoming  clothes. 

Among  these  courtiers  was 
the  Vizier  of  the  late  Sultan,  a 
very  gentlemanly  old  fellow, 
whose  turban  and  beard  were 
nevermore  impressive  than  on 
first  meeting. 

"When  the  Sultan  arose  late 
on  the  third  day,  he  had  de- 
cided to  begin  his  reign.  So 
he  sent  for  the  old  Vizier,  to 
have  a  private  conversation 
with  him  in  the  throne-room. 

Both  sat  down  cross-legged, 


The 
Powwow 


<i 


The  Sultan's  Verses 


47 


in  an  attitude  that  would  give         How  it 
American  citizens  the  cramps,  Began 

and  the  Sultan  opened  the  little 
powwow  thus : 


_Q 

( 

h 

(( 


Silleh  ben  Rifraf,  I  think  it 
is  high  time  that  I— that  is,  we 
— began  our  reign." 
"Wisdom  is  heard,"  replied 


Rifraf  is 
Cautious 


48  The  Sultan's 


His  Own  Rifraf,  with  the  ease  and  indif- 
Way  ference  of  an  old  courtier. 

"  And  it  strikes  me— us,"  the 
Sultan  went  on,  "that  it  is  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  me  to 
have  our  own  way  about  sev- 
eral little  matters  that  have  long 
been  in  my  mind." 

"Your  will  is  the  people's 
law,"  was  Rifraf 's  safe  answer, 
as  he  bowed  like  a  china  image. 

"So  I  understand,"  the  Sul- 
tan assented.  "  Of  course  we 
shall  for  a  while  carry  on  busi- 
ness upon  the  usual  lines,  so 
far  as  public  affairs  are  con- 
cerned. But  it  is  not  to  public 
business  that  we  are  referring 
just  now." 

"Why,  indeed?"  remarked 
Rifraf,  a  little  vaguely,  as  the 
Sultan     paused,    for    he    was 


Rifraf 
Wanders 


Verses  49 

thinking    of    something    else.       A  Feeler 
But  so  was  the  young  Suhan. 

"So  I  say,"  the  Sultan  re- 
plied. "  Now,  so  far  as  my 
own  private  affairs  are  con- 
cerned, I  mean  to  have  my 
own  way  about  them." 

"Yes?" 

"  Yes.  For  instance,  I  have 
long  desired  to  be  a  poet,"  said 
the  Sultan,  looking  aimlessly  at 
the  ceiling. 

The  Vizier  started  so 
abruptly  that  his  turban  fell 
off,  and  then  he,  too,  looked  at 
the  ceiling,  until  the  Suhan 
should  choose  to  go  on. 

It  was  a  very  embarrassing 
situation.  In  all  the  Vizier's 
experience  nothing  just  like 
this  had  ever  presented  itself. 
The  old   Sultan   had    been    a 


Poetry 
Threatened 


50 


The  Sultan's 


A  Long         very  sensible  man,  according 
Pause  to  the  Vizier's  opinion,  and  had 

considered  poetry— well,  he 
hadn't  considered  it  at  all. 
There  was  a  silence  that  lasted 
until  the  bulbul  in  the  blue 
room  had  finished  a  long  ditty. 
Then  the  Vizier  saw  it  v/as 
his  move,  so  to  speak,  and  he 
took  refuge  in  a  proverb — the 
first  that  occurred  to  him : 
'"Cheerfulness  is  perfectly 
consistent  with  piety,'  "  he  said, 
shaking  his  head  thoughtfully. 
"  So  we  think,"  said  the  Sul- 
tan, "  and  we  shall  therefore 
allow  you  to  conduct  the  realm 
about  as  usual  for  a  short  time, 
while  we  devote  ourselves  to 
poetry." 

"  Ugh !  "  exclaimed  the  Viz- 
ier, for  he  couldn't  help  it. 


An  Inter- 
jection 


Verses 


51 


"Excuse   me?"  said   the 
Sultan,  inquiringly. 
"'Every  condition  sits  well 


Safe 
Play 


upon  a  wise  man,' "  remarked 
Rifraf,  who  was  fond  of 
proverbs,  especially  when  he 
didn't  care  to  commit  himself. 


Sultan 
Puzzled 


52 


The  Sultan's 


An  Offer  "But,  though  that  is  all  plain 

Made  sailing,"   the    Sultan   went  on 

again,  after  trying  a  moment  in 
vain  to  see  what  the  proverb 
had  to  do  with  the  subject, 
"there,  is  yet  some  difficulty. 
That  is,  to  find  a  competent 
critic  who  will  show  me  my 
faults  and  point  out  any  little 
errors  that  may  creep  into  my 
hasty  lines.  Now,  if  you  your- 
self, Ben  Rifraf,  should  prefer 
to  undertake  this  responsible 
post,  you  can  do  so." 

"  My  sovereign  master,"  said 
Rifraf  hastily,  "  I  am  an  old 
man.  Let  me  care  for  the 
realm,  for  that  trade  I  have 
long  studied.  I  would  prefer 
that  another  should  become 
your  Critic  and  Poetical  Ad- 
viser— a  younger  man." 


And 
Declined 


Verses 


53 


"  So  be  it,"  answered  the 
young  Sultan ;  "  but  let  me  at 
least  read  to  you  one  set  of 
verses  which  I  happen  to  find 
in  my  caftan.  I  would  like  your 
judgment  upon  these  lines  be- 
fore you  betake  yourself  to  your 
proper  duties.   Shall  it  be  so?" 

The  Vizier  saw  by  the  look 
in  the  Sultan's  eye  that  the  re- 
quest was  a  command,  and  he 
replied  in  Oriental  phrase  that 
he  was  most  honored  by  the 
Sultan's  condescension. 

So  the  young  Sultan  drew 
out  a  roll  of  manuscript,  and 
read  as  follows : 


Who 
Could 
Refuse  ? 


*'  Youth  is  the  season  for  hope  ; 
Hope  befitteth  the  young. 
Youth  has  the  vigor  to  cope 

With  the  woes  that  the  singers 
have  sung. 


The  Poem 


54  The  Sultan's 

A  Critic  "  Youth  has  the  sparkle  of  mirth  ; 

Wanted  Laughter  delighteth  the  soul ; 

Spring  is  the  youth  of  the  earth. 
Merrily  let  carols  roll !  " 

The  Sultan  rolled  up  his 
manuscript,  and  looked  expect- 
antly at  Ben  Rifraf. 

"What  do  you  think  of 
that?"  asked  the  Sultan.  "Give 
me  your  candid  opinion — as 
one  private  gentleman  might  to 
another." 

Now,  the  Vizier  thought  the 
lines  were  very  poor  indeed  ; 
but  he  had  often  heard  that 
poets  were  sensitive,  and  he, 
therefore,  believed  he  was 
doing  a  very  wise  thing  when 
he  replied : 

"  Oh,  your  Highness,  what 
thought!  what  music!  How 
exquisite  your  rhymes  !  Soul 
and   roll — why,  it's   a   perfect 


A  Whopper 


Verses 


55 


rhyme!  I  think  you  have 
chosen  wisely  indeed,  if  I  may 
be  permitted  to  praise  without 
the  suspicion  of  flattery." 


"  Then  you  really  like  the 
little  lines?"  asked  the  Sultan, 
with  a  smile— a  peculiar  smile. 

"Like    them?     Why,    they 


The 

Sultan 

Smiles 


A  True 
Poet 


56 


The  SultarCs  Verses 


Rifraf  should    be   embroidered   with 

Goes  Out  gold  thread  on  silken  scarfs ! 
Your  Highness  is  right.  You 
are  a  Poet.  Let  me  attend  to 
the  petty  business  of  govern- 
ing, and  you  can  give  yourself 
entirely  to  the  sublime  art  of 
composition." 

"  So  be  it,"  said  the  Sultan. 
"  Until  I  notify  you  to  the  con- 
trary, I  will  leave  the  reins  in 
your  hands.  Now,  as  you  will 
have  plenty  to  attend  to,  will 
you  kindly  summon  the  Chief 
Treasurer  as  you  go  out? 
Thank  you.  Good  morning!  " 
The  Vizier  salaamed,  and 
vanished  through  the  curtained 
doorway  ;  and  the  page  on  duty 
outside  noticed  that  the  old 
Vizier  wore  a  broad  grin  as  he 
walked  down  the  arched  cor- 
ridor. 


Enter  the 
Treasurer 


m::^^:^^^=s:^ 


T 


The  Sultan's  Verses 


59 


In  a  few  minutes  the  Sultan 
heard  the  jingling  of  the  golden 
curtain-rings,  and  beheld  the 
face  of  the  Chief  Treasurer,  a 
sedate  and  dignified  man  of 
middle  age. 

"  Enter  Adhem  el  Shekels," 
said  the  Sultan  kindly,  "  and 
be  seated.  I  would  confer  with 
you." 

"My  lord,  the  treasury  is 
well  supplied,  and  the  accounts 
straight  —  " 

"  No  doubt,"  interrupted  the 
Sultan;  "but  I  have  more  im- 
portant matters  —  " 

"More  important — "  the 
Treasurer  began,  so  amazed 
that  he  forgot  his  manners. 

"Verily,"  said  the  Sultan, 
overlooking  the  little  breach 
of    etiquette.     "As   the  Vizier 


A  Good 
Official 


More 
Poetry 


6o 


The  Sultan's 


Caution  has  no  doubt  informed  you,  I 
of  Shekels  intend  to  devote  my  own  time, 
for  the  present,  to  poetry.  He 
told  you  so,  did  he  not?" 

"  Something  of  the  sort,  your 
Highness,"  replied  El  Shekels 
uneasily,  hoping  that  the  Sul- 
tan wouldn't  ask  him  to  repeat 
the  Vizier's  joking  remarks.  In 
fact,  the  Vizier  had  hinted  that 
the  young  Sultan  thought  him- 
self a  genius. 

"I  suspected  as  much,"  said 
the  Sultan.  "And  you  were 
surprised,  perhaps?" 

"Your  Highness  is  the 
ruler,"  responded  the  Trea- 
surer politely  ;  "  but  I  was  sur- 
prised, I  admit.  And,  to  tell 
the  truth,  if  you  will  pardon  me 
for  saying  so,  I  must  say  that, 
as   a    rule,   there    isn't    much 


No  Money 
in  Poetry 


Verses 


6i 


money  to  be  made  in  poetry. 
I  speak  simply  as  a  treasurer, 
your  Highness,  not  as  a  critic." 

"  But  I  wish  your  opinion  as 
a  critic,"  the  Sultan  answered. 
"The  question  of  providing 
funds  I  shall  leave  to  you,  for 
the  present,  unless  I  should  ap- 
point you  to  the  new  office  I 
mean  to  create— that  of  Chief 
Critic  and  Poetical  Adviser." 

The  face  of  El  Shekels  had 
brightened  when  the  new  office 
was  mentioned,  but  the  bright- 
ness faded  as  the  sentence 
ended. 

"  Your  Highness  is  most  gra- 
cious ;  but,  if  it  be  your  will,  I 
prefer  to  remain  Treasurer." 

"  As  you  please,"  the  Sul- 
tan replied.  "  But  meanwhile  I 
happen  to  have  in  my  caftan  a 


A  New 
Office 


The  Poem 
Again 


The  Sultan's 


Bored  copy  of  verses  that  I  have  just 

completed.  If  you  can  spare 
the  time,  we  shall  be  glad  to 
have  your  opinion  of  them." 

"Most  certainly,  gracious 
sovereign,"  was  the  answer  of 
El  Shekels,  while  his  face  as- 
sumed a  weary  expression,  and 
he  began  to  do  sums  in  mental 
arithmetic. 

So,  drawing  forth  the  pre- 
cious manuscript,  the  Sultan 
began, 

"  Youth  is  the  season  for  hope," 

and  on  he  went,  reading  in  a 
fine  declamatory  voice,  as  if 
trying  to  bring  out  the  best 
points  in  the  verses. 

When  he  concluded   he 
looked  at  the  Chief  Treasurer. 
Your  Highness,   the   lines 


A  Sly 
Reply 


(( 


Verses 


63 


are  above  praise,"  said  the 
Treasurer.  "  I  hardly  know 
which  part  to  praise  most." 
(And    that   was    true,  for    he 


Another 
Whopper 


hadn't  paid  very  close  atten- 
tion.) "But  I  am  sure  your 
wisdom  has  led  you  aright. 
Your  talents    are  far  beyond 


No, 
Thank  You 


64  The  Sultan's 

Next!  my  poor  criticism.   Let  another 

be  your  Chief  Critic;  I  am 
content  to  remain  Treasurer." 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  say,"  the 
Sultan  agreed  ;  "  at  least,  for 
the  present.  And,  as  you  go 
out,  will  you  be  kind  enough  to 
send  us  the — ah,  what  officer 
comes  next  to  you  in  rank?" 

"The  Minister  of  Justice," 
answered  the  Treasurer ;  "  yes, 
I  will  see  that  he  comes  at 
once." 

"Well,"  remarked  the  page 
at  the  door,  "the  new  Sultan 
certainly  makes  the  officers 
happy !  How  they  do  grin 
when  they  come  back !  " 

Later  in  the  afternoon  the 
page  had  reason  to  repeat  this 
remark  with  added  emphasis; 
for  meanwhile  he  had  admitted 


Why  Do 

They  Smile? 


Verses 


65 


the    greatest    officers    of    the     A  Grand 
realm,  and  all,  as  they  came      Official 
from  their  interview  with  the 


young  sovereign,  were  adorned 
by  the  same  self-satisfied  grim- 
ace. 
Stronger    and    stronger    be- 


The 
Secret 


66 


The  Sultan's 


How  to  came  the  page's  curiosity  to 
Please  know  what  it  was  that  made  all 
the  courtiers  so  well  satisfied 
with  themselves.  For  after  the 
first  two  or  three  had  explained 
to  the  rest  that  "the  young  Sul- 
tan thinks  he's  a  genius  in  the 
poetry  line,  and  all  you've  got 
to  do  is  to  praise  his  verses 
and  you're  sure  to  keep  your 
place,"  it  was  as  easy  as  roll- 
ing off  a  log  to  go  in,  hear  the 
verses  and  express  your  rap- 
tures, and  come  out  in  clover. 
But  no  one  told  the  page 
about  all  this,  and  his  curiosity 
about  the  interviews  became 
very  keen.  He  thought  there 
must  be  something  worth  see- 
ing in  the  throne-room,  for,  not 
long  after  each  great  official 
entered,  he  could  hear  a  mur- 


Shrewd 
Critics 


Verses  67 

mur  of  voices,  and  then  such       The  Last 
expressions    as  "Exquisite!       Page 
Beau-ti-ful !  "    or,    "Perfect— 
couldn't  be  better!"    "Well, 
well,  I  never  did  !  "    "  Never 
was  anything  like  it !  " 

Strangely  enough,  the  page's 
curiosity  was  gratified  most 
unexpectedly. 

It  was  getting  late,  and  the 
Sultan  had  seen  all  the  promi- 
nent officials  of  the  palace.  At 
length  he  came  to  the  doorway, 
and  found  the  page  sitting  in 
attendance  on  rather  a  thin  and 
hard  cushion. 

"Why,  my  boy,"  said  the 
Sultan  kindly,  "  you  must  be 
worn  out.  Have  you  been 
there  all  day?" 

"  All  day,  your  Majesty,"  the 
page    replied    respectfully; 


A  Kindly 
Sovereign 


68 


The  Sultan's  Verses 


A  Page  "  and  since  your  Majesty  asks 

Surprised     me— I  am  a  little  tired." 

"  Come  in,"  said  the  Sultan, 
holding  aside  the  curtain.  "You 
shall  rest  awhile." 

"  What !  —with  your  Majesty, 
in  the  throne-room?"  the  boy 
exclaimed  in  amazement. 

"Certainly.  No  one  need 
know,"  answered  the  Sultan 
kindly.  "Are  you  afraid  of 
me?" 

"  No,  your  Majesty,"  said 
the  page,  for  the  Sultan  smiled 
very  cordially ;  and  the  page 
entered  the  throne-room. 

"  Be  seated,"  said  the  Sultan ; 
"  I  command  it!  "  he  added,  as 
the  boy  hesitated.  So  the  page 
sat  down  upon  a  soft  silk 
cushion. 

"  I  have  been  writing  some 


The  Poem 
Again 


The  Sultan's  Verses 


)> 


verses,'  said  the  Sultan,  as  he 
bade  the  boy  help  himself  to 
the  delicious  fruits  and  ices, 
"  and  while  you  refresh  your- 
self I  should  like  to  read  them 
to  you." 

"  Your  Majesty  is  very  kind," 
said  the  page.  "  But  suppose 
some  one  should  come?" 

"  No  one  will  come,"  said 
the  Sultan  decidedly,  and  he 
clapped  his  hands,  summoned 
a  slave,  and  bade  him  stand 
sentinel  to  keep  out  all  intrud- 
ers. 

So,  while  the  boy  enjoyed 
the  fruits  and  ices,  the  Sultan, 
for  the  twentieth  time  at  least, 
read  aloud  his  precious  Hnes 
on  youth. 

"When  he  had  finished,  he 
turned    to    the    page,   saying: 


In  Clover 


A 

Request 


72 


The  Sultan's 


Pray 

Excuse 

Me! 


A 

Desperate 

Resolution 


"  Now  I  should  like  your  opin- 
ion of  the  poem." 

"But,  your  Highness,  I  am 
too  young  to  criticize  your 
verses,"  replied  the  page  un- 
easily. 

"All  nonsense,"  answered 
the  Sultan,  but  pleasantly 
enough.  "  I  see  you  have  an 
opinion.  I  desire  you  to  ex- 
press it  freely.  Nay,  more 
than  that,  I  command  you  to 
do  so." 

"I  must  obey,  then,"  said 
the  page,  looking  very  serious. 
"  But  if  I  should  incur  your 
Majesty's  displeasure,  may  I 
beg  that  you  will  visit  your 
wrath  upon  me  alone?  I  have 
a  mother  and  sister  who  are 
dependent  upon  me — " 

They  shall  be  cared  for," 


(4 


Verses 


73 


said  the  Sultan  in  a  solemn 
tone,  "  if  the  need  arises.  But 
you  make  me  suspect  that  my 
lines  do  not  meet  with  your 
approval." 

"On  your  own  head  be  it, 
Commander  of  the  Faithful!  " 
exclaimed  the  unhappy  page. 
"By  the  Prophet,  as  I  prom- 
ised my  mother  that  I  would 
tell  truth,  the  lines  are  the 
veriest  bosh  and  nonsense! 
They  mean  nothing.  They  do 
not  even  sound  sensible.  They 
are  as  unmusical  as  the  bray- 
ing of  a  lost  donkey!  There! 
I  have  said  the  truth.  A  man 
dies  but  once !  Remember, 
then,  your  words." 

"Allah  be  praised!"  cried 
the  Sultan,  "  I  have  found  a 
pearl !     And  all  the  men  of  my 


The  Truth 
at  Last 


An  Honest 
Man 


74 


The  Sultan's 


Reward  of 
Honesty 


court  declared  the  lines  perfect, 
beyond  praise !  Now  have  I 
found  the  honest  man  I  sought." 

"  But,  your  Majesty,"  stam- 
mered the  astonished  page,  "  I 
am  no  more  than  a  boy  !  " 

"  Enough  !  "  said  the  Sultan. 
"  The  years  will  find  you  wis- 
dom as  well  as  age ;  but  hon- 
esty comes  not  even  with  long 
ages  if  the  seed  be  not  already 
planted.     Say  not  a  word." 

The  Sultan  clapped  his 
hands,  directed  all  the  court- 
iers to  be  summoned,  and  in 
their  presence  appointed  the 
page  Chief  Councillor  and 
Grand  High  Vizier  of  the 
Realm  for  life,  at  the  same 
time  investing  him  with  the 
order  of  the  Golden  Sunburst 
of  the  East,  and  a  whole  row 


A  Full 
Court 


Verses 


75 


of  smaller  decorations  of  dif- 
ferent colors. 

When    this    ceremony    was 
over,   Silleh  ben   Rifraf  pros- 


trated   himself    before    the 
throne. 

"Speak,  Ben    Rifraf,"  said 
the  Sultan. 

Would  your  Majesty  deign 


Deco- 
rated 


(( 


Explanation 
Desired 


76 


The  Sultan's 


^"^  to    inform   his  humble  slaves 

Sultan  s       what  has  caused  the  merited 
Answer        elevation  of  his  favorite?"  Ben 
Rifraf  inquired. 

"  Most  willingly,"  responded 
the  Sultan.  "  I  read  my  verses 
to  this  youth,  and  he  has  given 
upon  them  the  wisest  judgment 
of  you  all." 

"  But  words  cannot  say  more 
than  we  said,"  Ben  Rifraf  ven- 
tured to  say.  "  Did  we  not 
praise  your  Highness's  gen- 
ius?" 

"Of  a  truth  you  did,"  re- 
plied the  Sultan.  "  Yet  were 
the  verses  the  veriest  trash,  as 
ye  well  knew." 

"  Most  true,  O  Sultan,"  came 
the  chorus  from  the  whole 
court,  for  they  saw  the  tide  had 
turned. 


The  Truth 
is  Mighty 


Verses  77 


(( 


And  courage   to    tell    this        True 
truth  was  found  only  in  my        Courage 
page,  whom  I  have  made  Chief 
Councillor.     Enough!     The 
audience  is  at  an  end  !  " 

Then,  just  before  the  band 
struck  up  an  inspiring  march, 
the  voice  of  Ben  Rifraf  was 
heard  reciting  a  well-known 
proverb,  which  in  its  original 
Arabic  looks  like  a  procession 
of  earthworms,  but  which 
means  in  plain  English, "  After- 
wit  is  everybody's  wit." 


t 


A  Proverb 
Again 


The  Boy  and  Dragon 


The  Boy  and  Dragon 


8i 


An  I^^S^^SSSI  ^  ^^^  by  the 

Accident       ^^^   ^^^    merest  acci- 
dent that  I  hap- 
pened to  read 
that  copy  of  the 
Daily    Elec- 
triser.  A  small 
boy  was  flying  a   kite,  and  it 
caught    in  the  telephone-wire 
that  ran  by  my  window.     In 
trying    to   disentangle    it,    I 
noticed  an  advertisement  head- 
ed: "Wanted,  a  young  man  of 
noble  lineage  to  release  a  dis- 
tressed  Princess  who  is   now 
held    captive    by    a    medium- 
sized,  but  ferocious,  dragon." 

"Johnny,"  I  called  to  the 
small  boy. 

"  My  name  isn't  Johnny,"  he 
replied ;  "  and  I  don't  want  to 
be  called  Johnny,  mister." 


Not 
Johnny 


82 


The  Boy 


Auburn  His  hair  was  red    and    he 

Hair  seemed  to  have  a  quick  temper. 

"I'm  not  a  mister,"  I  an- 
swered in  kindly  but  dignified 
tones;  "and  I  don't  Hke  the 
title.  What  is  your  name,  my 
rosy-scalped  friend?" 

He  looked  around  for  a  stone 
to  throw,  but  the  street  was 
paved  with  Belgian  blocks, each 
weighing  about  ten  pounds,  and 
he  made  up  his  mind  to  be 
civil. 

"  My  nam.e's  Roderick  Adol- 
phus  Peterson  Stubbs,  Jr.,"  he 
answered,  putting  on  his  cap 
and  pulling  it  down  hard. 
"  Now,  what's  yours?" 

"  I  am  the  disinherited  Duke 
of  Marabout,  Count  of  Mackin- 
tosh," I  said. 

"Whe-e-ew!"   he   whistled. 


A 
Nobleman 


and  Dragon 


83 


"Your    name    is    as    bad    as 
mine!" 

"Your  name  is  not  bad,"  I 
said  soothingly. 


(( 


Oh,  isn't  it?"  he  returned, 
with  an  up-and-down-stairs  in- 
flection. "The  boys  call  me 
Roddy,  Reddy,  and  Raps.  What 
do  they  call  you?" 


Compli- 
ments 


Nick- 
names 


84 


The  Boy 


Subject  "  They  don't  call   me  any- 

Changed  thing,"  I  replied  affably.  "But 
what  I  wanted,  Roderick,  was 
to  inquire  whether  I  may  cut 
an  advertisement  out  of  this 
newspaper?" 

"What's  it  about?  Rare 
stamps?" 

"  No.  About  a  Princess  and 
a  dragon." 

"All  right,  then.  Cut  it  out 
and  paste  on  another  piece. 
But  what  are  you  going  to  do 
with  it?" 

"  I  thought  I  would  rescue 
the  Princess  from  the  dragon, 
and  maybe  marry  her — if  she 
is  beautiful,  good,  economical, 


ana 


Rich?"  inquired  Roderick. 
"Oh,  that  doesn't  matter,"  I 
said.  "  I  have  enough  for  both." 


Plenty 
for  Two 


and  Dragon 


85 


(( 


Say,"  remarked  Roderick,    An  Idea 
after  a  short  pause  ;  "  lend  me 
a  quarter,  will  you?" 
"What  for?" 


"  Dues  to  our  club,"  he 
answered.  "  I  am  the  trea- 
surer, you  know,  and  I  keep  the 
cash,  and  there  was  a  circus  in 


Hard 
Times 


86  The  Boy 

Sub-  town  last  week—did  you  see  it? 

traction         —and  I  am  a  quarter  short !  " 

"  You're  very  welcome,"  I 
answered.  So  I  threw  him  a 
quarter,  cut  out  the  advertise- 
ment, and  shut  my  window. 

I  found  on  reading  the  notice, 
that  the  Princess  had  been 
carried  away  some  three 
months  before,  and  that  she 
was  held  in  captivity  in  a  cavern 
upon  a  lofty  mountain-peak. 
I  made  up  my  mind  that  it  was 
a  worthy  case  of  genuine  dis- 
tress well  suited  to  a  modern 
knight-errant's  enterprise. 

I  consulted  a  time-table,  and 
found  that  a  train  left  for  her 
native  land  at  7:45.  I  had  just 
about  time  to  pack  my  valise 
before  the  train  started.  Upon 
my  way  to  the  station,  I  met 


Quick 
Time 


and  Dragon  87 

Roderick   A.   P.   Stubbs,    Jr.,     ^ 

who  was  also  carrying  a  small    Meeting 

satchel. 

"Hullo!  "he  said. 

"Why,  Roderick,  where  are 
you  going?"  I  asked. 

"I've  run  away  from  home," 
he  said  with  a  mournful  grin. 

"What  for?"  I  asked  in 
astonishment. 

"  Because  nobody  loves  me," 
he  replied  in  a  tone  of  settled 
despair. 

"  How  do  you  know  that?" 
I  inquired. 

"They  sent  me  away  from 
the  table  at  dinner  to-day,"  he 
answered  angrily. 

I  saw  that  it  was  useless  to 
argue  with  him  in  his  present 
frame  of  mind,  and  so  I  asked  : 
Where  are  you  going?" 


An 
Exile 


n 


88 


The  Boy 


Long  "  As  far  as  sixty-seven  cents 

Journey        will  take    me,"    he  answered, 

"  and  from  there  I'll  walk  until 

I  wear  out  my  Sunday  shoes." 

"This,  Roderick,  is  all 
wrong,"  I  said  seriously.  "  Let 
me  persuade  you  to  give  up 
this  foolish  idea.  Come  with 
me,  instead.  I  will  telegraph 
to  your  family  that  you  are  safe, 
and  will  be  back  in  two  weeks. 
Then  you  can  come  with  me, 
and  help  me  to  slay  this 
dragon." 

He  seemed  moved  by  m.y 
appeal. 

"  How  do  you  know,"  he  in- 
quired, "that  we  will  be  back 
in  two  weeks?  " 

"That  is  the  ordinary  time," 
I  replied,  "  for  a  medium-sized 
dragon.  In  fact,  I  have  slain 
them  in  less." 


An  Old 
Hand 


and  Dragon 


89 


"How  do  you  doit?"  Rod- 
erick asked  with  curiosity. 
"  Come  with  me    and    you 


Curiosity 


shall  see,"   I  suggested,  smil- 
ing. 

"  It's  all  right  for  you,"  said 
Roderick  after  a  moment's  re- 
flection, "  for  you  will  get  the 


Caution 


go 


The  Boy 


Rewards  Princess  and  the  reward.  But 
what  good  will  that  do  me?" 

"  Very  true,"  I  replied.  "You 
will  deserve  some  reward  also. 
How  would  you  like  a  gold- 
plated  bicycle?  " 

"With  a  bell  and  a  lantern?" 
he  asked  eagerly. 

"  Certainly,"  I  answered ; 
"with  all  the  modern  improve- 
ments." 

"I'll  do  it!  "he  said. 

We  walked  along  together, 
and  when  I  came  to  a  telegraph- 
office,  I  sent  a  dispatch  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stubbs  informing 
them  that  Roderick  had  agreed 
to  spend  two  weeks  with  me  on 
a  dragon-hunt.  Roderick 
seemed  relieved  when  the  mes- 
sage had  gone. 

We    caught    the  train,   and, 


In  Time 


and  Dragon  91 

after  a  pleasant  journey,  arrived  At  the 
in  the  land  of  the  captive  Prin-  Palace 
cess.  We  went  boldly  up  the 
front  steps  of  the  palace,  and 
rang  the  bell.  To  the  attendant 
who  answered  the  summons,  I 
explained  my  errand.  He 
asked  me  to  come  in  and  sit 
down  in  the  reception-room. 
After  a  few  moments,  the  King 
came  in. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  keep  you  wait- 
ing," he  said  pleasantly,  "but 
I  am  just  back  from  the  funeral 
of  the  last  dragon-fighter.  He 
was  the  twelfth,  so  you  are  the 
thirteenth." 

"  Don't  mention  it,"  I  said 
politely.  "  We  waited  only  a 
moment.  Your  Majesty,  let  me 
introduce  my  assistant,  Mr. 
Stubbs  —  Rodolphus  Aderick 
Peterson  Stubbs ! " 

A 

Mix-up 


92 


The  Boy 


Shocking!  "Well,  you  have  made  a  mix 
of  it!  "  said  Roderick  with  in- 
dignation. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  his  Ma- 
jesty. "  I  am  happy  to  meet 
you,  Mr.  Stubbs.  I  hope  you 
will  succeed  in  your  work." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Rod- 
erick. 

"Won't  you  have  some  re- 
freshment ?  "  was  his  Majesty's 
next  remark. 

"  How  is  the  ice-cream  to- 
day ?  "  Roderick  asked,  with  an 
ease  that  surprised  me. 

"The  vanilla  is  good,"  an- 
swered the  King,  "  but  the 
chocolate  is  a  little  flat." 

"The  vanilla  will  do  very 
well,"  said  Roderick  gra- 
ciously. 

So  the   King  rang  the   bell, 


Refresh- 
ments 


and  Dragon 

ordered  a  quart  and  a  pint  of 
vanilla,  plain,  and  we  discussed 
the  terms  of  our  bargain  over 
the  luncheon.    Soon  we  were 


93 


Settling 
Terms 


agreed.  It  was  arranged  that  I 
was  to  slay  the  dragon  in  two 
weeks,  or  be  banished  for  forty 
years  to  a  desert  island :  if  I 


Quite 
a  Risk 


94 


The  Boy 


All  slew  him  I  was  to  marry  the 

Settled  Princess.  Roderick  was,  in  case 
of  success,  to  have  his  bicycle; 
in  case  of  failure,  to  learn  by 
heart  all  the  pieces  of  verse  in 
the  Fourth  Reader. 

"There,"  said  the  King, 
"I'm  glad  it's  settled.  The 
Princess  Amelia  Ann  is  greatly 
missed  at  home,  and  the  dragon 
is  a  public  nuisance.  He  feeds 
on  rocks ;  flies  over  the  city  at 
night,  rattling  his  scales,  and 
wakes  all  the  children ;  turns 
all  the  milk  sour  with  his  roar- 
ings ;  eats  the  pet  swans  in  the 
public  parks;  and  altogether 
makes  himself  as  unpleasant  as 
he  can." 

"Why    hasn't    he    been 
killed?"  I  asked. 
"  The  dozen  who  tried  it  have 


A 

Nuisance 


and  Dragon  95 

all  failed, "his  Majesty  answered  A  Queer 
with  a  sigh.  "  He  spouts  fire,  Creature 
has  quills  of  pure  steel  like  a 
porcupine,  flies  like  an  express- 
train,  strikes  like  a  pile-driver, 
has  armor  of  solid  iron  a  foot 
thick,  and  is  difficult  to  talk 
to,  as  he  understands  only 
Arabic." 

"  Does  he  ever  fly  by  day  ?  " 
I  asked. 

"  Sometimes,  but  very  rarely. 
Here  he  comes  now ! "  sud- 
denly shrieked  the  King,  get- 
ting under  the  sofa. 

There  was  a  clatter  like  that 
made  by  a  truck-load  of  steel 
rails  being  carried  over  a  cob- 
blestone pavement,  a  dark  ob- 
ject whisked  by  the  window, 
and  the  noise  died  away  in  the 
distance. 


The  Dragon 
Passes 


96 


The  Boy 


A  "  He's  gone  down  to  the  sta- 

Blunder  tion  to  get  his  mail,"  said  the 
King,  as  he  crawled  out  and 
dusted  his  robes. 

"  Does  he  get  letters  ?  "  Rod- 
erick asked  in  amazement. 

"Oh,  no,"  the  King  answered, 
smiling  politely  at  the  boy's  mis- 
take. "  I  mean  his  coat  of  mail. 
He  makes  it  out  of  steel  rails. 
He  chews  them  up,  melts  them 
in  his  fiery  jaws,  and  adds 
a  new  coating  every  week  or 
two.  You  must  excuse  me,"  he 
went  on  ;  "I  have  business  to 
attend  to.  Farewell.  I  trust 
you  will  succeed." 

We  bowed  ourselves  out,  and 
I  went  and  secured  the  use  of 
a  modest  set  of  apartments  dur- 
ing our  stay,  and  also  leased  a 
boiler-factory  for  two  weeks. 


Making 
Ready 


and  Dragon  97 


(( 


There  is  no  use  in  disguising  Perplexed 
the  fact,"  I  said  to  my  assistant, 
Mr.  Stubbs, "  that  this  is  rather 
a  difficult  dragon  to  overcome. 
It  is  my  first  experience  with  a 
steel-clad  dragon ;  and  I  have 
been  told  that  they  are  not 
easy  to  manage.  Still,  I  think  I 
see  my  way  clear  in  this  case." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?" 
asked  Roderick. 

"I  thought  I  would  make  a 
knight  out  of  iron,  put  a  phono- 
graph in  him,  set  him  up  some- 
where near  the  cavern  where 
the  Princess  is,  make  him  defy 
the  dragon,  have  him  loaded 
up  with  dynamite,  and  then 
when  the  dragon  comes  down 
on  him,  there  will  be  an  explo- 
sion— and  away  will  go  knight, 
dynamite  and  all.  "What  do  you 
think  of  my  plan?" 


An  Idea 


98  The  Boy 

The  Plan  "  I^'s  too  much  trouble,  and 
Con-  costs  too  much,"  said  Roderick 

demned       promptly. 

I  was  hurt.  The  boy  was  too 
forward. 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  do 
any  better?"  I  asked  irritably. 

"  Why,  of  course  I  can, "said 
Roderick.  "And  I'll  tell  you 
what  I'll  do.  You  help  me  the 
first  week,  and  if  I  don't  suc- 
ceed, I'll  help  you  the  second 
week." 

Really,  the  boy's  self-con- 
fidence was  amazing.  I  made 
up  my  mind  to  let  him  have  his 
own  way,  merely  to  cure  him 
of  self-confidence. 

"Very  well,"  I  said.  "It 
shall  be  as  you  say." 

"All  right,"  said  Roderick. 

The  next  day,  by  his  direc- 


Confidence 
of  Youth 


and  Dragon 


99 


tion,  we  bought  hundreds  of 
bales  of  cotton  batting,  and  en- 
gaged a  lot  of  men  to  make  it 
up  in  the  shape  of  swans.     Be- 


Stubbs's 
Plan 


low  each  swan  was  fastened  a 
light  board.  About  two  dozen 
of  these  swans  were  set  afloat 
each  day  for  four  or  five  days. 


Swan 
Decoys 


lOO 


The  Boy  and  Dragon 


Where  Strange  to  say,  they  all  disap- 

Did  They      peared  during  the  night. 
Go?  Then  a  terrible  roaring  was 

heard  from  the  distant  moun- 
tain where  the  dragon  dwelt. 

The  next  night  Roderick 
bought  a  great  number  of  elec- 
tric lights  in  glass  bulbs,  and 
after  a  consultation  with  the 
court  interpreter  went  into  the 
boiler-factory  and  climbed  up 
to  its  roof.  He  arranged  the 
lights  on  the  roof  in  a  curious 
pattern,  and  then  came  home 
and  slept  soundly. 

During  the  next  day,  Rod- 
erick rigged  himself  up  in  a 
long  robe,  a  high  hat,  a  large 
pair  of  spectacles  without  glass, 
and  a  cotton  batting  wig  and 
beard  ;  and  when  evening  came 
he  went  to  spend  the  night  on 
the  roof  of  the  boiler-factory. 


A  Strange 
Costume 


f 


The  Boy  and  Dragon 


103 


There  was  a  terrible  rattle 
and  clatter  and  roar  that  night, 
that  woke  all  the  children  for 
miles  around.  Next  morning 
Roderick  was  nowhere  to  be 
found. 

"  I  thought  so,"  I  said  bitterly 
to  myself.  "  This  comes  of  let- 
ting a  foolish  boy  have  his  own 
way!  Evidently,  the  dragon 
has  made  mince-meatof  that  un- 
fortunate Roderick  Adolphus 
Peterson  Stubbs,  Jr.,  with  all 
his  tomfool  costumes  !  " 

Then  I  sat  down  to  compose  a 
fitting  telegram  to  the  Stubbses. 
I  had  written  as  far  as  : 

"  Roderick  missing.  Prob- 
ably dragon  has "  when 

there  was  a  sound  of  cheering 
in  the  street,  and  I  ran  to  the 
window. 


Roderick 
is  Gone 


A  Joyful 
Sound 


I04 


The  Boy  and  Dragon 


The  Con-  I  saw  Roderick,  dressed  in  a 
qiiering  magnificent  court  suit  three 
Hero  sizes  too  large  for  him,  being 

escorted  to  our  lodgings  by  an 
enthusiastic  crowd  of  citizens. 
They  had  taken  the  horses  from 
the  royal  coach  and  were  draw- 
ing him  in  triumph  amid  wild 
cries  of: 

"  Stubbs,  the   Dragon  Doc- 
tor I" 
"Stubbs  forever!" 
"Stubbs,    the    saver    of 
princesses  !  "   and   similar  ex- 
pressions. 
Soon  he  entered  the  room. 
"  Roderick,  my  dear  boy,"  I 
asked,  "  explain  the  scene,  will 
you?" 

"  It's  easy  enough  to  explain 
it,"  said  Roderick.  "  I  rescued 
the  Princess." 


Success ! 


k 


The  Boy  and  Dragon 


107 


"What!     You  res— "  Modest 

"  I  rescued  the  Princess,"  he    Merit 
repeated. 
"  And  how  did  you  do  it?" 


"  The  Dragon  ate  the  cotton 
batting  swans." 
"Yes." 
"  They  made  him  sick." 


To  be 
Sure! 


io8 


The  Boy 


All  is  Ex- 
plained 


"Yes." 

"  I  put  up  a  sign  in  electric 
lights  on  top  of  the  factory." 

"Yes." 

"The  court  interpreter 
helped  me,  and  I  put  it  up  in 
Arabic  saying  '  dragon  doctor.' 
Then  when  the  dragon  read  it, 
I  fixed  myself  up  like  an  old 
doctor,  and  he  carried  me  off 
to  prescribe  for  him." 

"And  you  prescribed  — " 

"I  prescribed  an  entire 
change  of  scene  and  air.  I  ad- 
vised and  ordered  him  to  go  to 
the  North  Pole.  I  offered  to 
take  care  of  the  Princess  while 
he  was  away.  He  went  early 
this  morning,  and  I  brought  the 
Princess  home  before  dinner." 

"  You  did  wonderfully  well!" 
I  said  heartily.  "  And  was  the 
Princess  beautiful?" 


Is  She 
Beautiful  ? 


and  Dragon 


109 


"  I    have   brought    you    her     Her 
photograph,"  and  Roderick     Portrait 
drew    the    portrait    from    his 
pocket  and  handed  it  to  me. 


I  looked  at  it  eagerly,  and 
turned  to  Roderick. 
"  Let  us  go  home  !  "  I  said. 


A  Sudden 
Resolve 


no 


The  Boy  and  Dragon 


No  "  All  right !  "  he  answered. 

Beauty  "  Amelia  Ann  may  be  lovely 

in  character,"  I  observed,  as 
we  hurried  toward  the  station, 
"  but  I  wonder  the  dragon  ever 
survived  the  sight  of  her  face  !  " 

As  we  parted  at  the  gate  lead- 
ing to  Roderick's  house,  I  said: 

"  Farewell.  You  are  young, 
but  in  time  you'll  do  good  work 
in  dragon-slaying." 

"  Farewell,"  said  Roderick  ; 
"  then  you'll  send  the  bicycle  ?" 

"I  will,"  I  said.  Then,  as  I 
grasped  his  hand  in  parting,  I 
added:  "Never  mind  that 
quarter.    You  can  keep  it." 

But  when  the  dragon  gets 
back  from  the  North  Pole 
there's  going  to  be  trouble. 


What 
Then? 


T^ 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY 


g      AA 


FACILITY 


000  334  807 


